Cancer I Promise
by skyway05
Summary: Frank's always right, no matter what.  One-shot, Frerard, character death.


**A/N**: Sooo... Not really sure how this came to be, it just sorta popped into my head. Hope you like it...

**Warning(s): **Character death, suicide, mentions of a slash pairing, language,

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><p>Frank's never wrong. It's a well known fact. All of his life, he's always been right about things; he just HAS. There were definitely some decisions he's made in the past that resulted disastrously, but he was still right about things. It's sort of a confusing concept.<p>

Frank's always right, and he's beginning to wonder when he'll be wrong.

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><p>Once, at an Easter party many years ago, Frank had told all of the other kids that he was going to find the 'prize' egg. When you're only six years-old, that one plastic egg, filled with a mere five dollars, seems like the most prestigious award in the country.<p>

"Yep! That golden egg's as good as mine!" he'd boasted, a huge, cheesy grin spread so wide across his face that he was squinting a little to fit it all in.

Sure enough, once the dust had settled and the egg hunt was over, there a young Frank Iero stood, grass stains on his knees and a smile on his face that was even bigger than the one he'd displayed before. In one hand, he held with a filled-to-the-brim-with-plastic-eggs basket, and in the other, there was a single, brightly shining, egg.

Even at a very young age, Frank was right.

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><p>"We're best friends, of course I know everything about you." Gerard told Frank. They were sitting in the basement of Gerard's home, currently in the middle of a lazy argument. The room was hot and stuffy, but neither boy had enough energy to pry themselves from the floor to do anything about it.<p>

"There's some stuff about me that you don't know," Frank informed Gerard, "Everyone has a secret." Frank actually had several, but that's a different story.

"Okay, name one thing I don't know about you." Gerard provoked, giving his friend a disapproving look. It was obvious that he didn't believe Frank.

Frank contemplated that for a while before his face lit up with realization. "You don't know who my first kiss was."

It was true. Gerard had no clue who Frank's first kiss had been. Sure, they'd talked about girls and whatever but they hadn't talked about what they'd done with girls. He thought through all of Frank's past girlfriend (there surprisingly weren't that many), but he still came up blank. "I give up, who was it?"

Frank was silent for a moment, just staring at the floor. It was clear that he was contemplating whether or not to tell Gerard something. "Truthfully..." he started, but fell silent again. Gerard motioned with his head as if to say "go on" and Frank huffed before saying, "I've never been kissed." He looked up at his best friend with a bittersweet smile on his face, one that showed he was hurt by the fact. Yet, the smile also exposed something deeper about Frank. It showed that he was still willing to admit things, to own up to them, and face all the consequences and embarrassment that came with it.

"Oh," Gerard stated, just so that the room wouldn't descend into an uncomfortable quiet. "Uh, same. I've uh, never been kissed. By anyone." They lied there for a while, both feeling slightly unnerved by the awkward silence enveloping them.

"I guess we're just a couple o' losers, eh?" Frank said, obviously trying to lighten the mood. Gerard cracked a smile.

"Yeah... it's worse for me though, 'cause I still haven't and, uh. I kinda, go for both." Gerard said shyly. He'd been wanting to tell someone other than Mikey for a long time, but he just hadn't been able to. He was expecting the worst reaction, Frank running off and never speaking to him again. But that was okay. Gerard was used to that happening to him; it wouldn't be the first time he'd been alone.

"Dude... I already figured." Frank smiled. "I mean, c'mon, what straight dude listens to Queen..." He chuckled. "If it helps I uh, I'm bi too." A look of shock briefly crossed Gerard's face.

"Okay, first off. Did you just insult Queen?" He asked, voice filled with mock irritation before continuing in a bit more of a serious tone. "And really? Who all have you told?" Gerard had a curious look on his face, one that you might see on a toddler or newborn puppy. He was looking straight at Frank now; it was obvious that the younger boy had his full attention.

"To answer your first question, yes I did insult your fuckin'" he struggled to find the words he was looking for, "glam-rock, shit music. And, uh. Yeah. You're kinda the first person I told so... Don't tell anyone yet?" Frank pleaded.

"You don't, I won't kid." Gerard comforted, smirking and running a hand through his own hair. The familiar, comfortable silence they'd spent so many afternoons listening to crept into the room again.

"You really don't know everything about me, though." Frank said, finally breaking the silence and laughing.

Even during his awkward, fourteen year-old, introspective, teenage stage, Frank was right.

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><p>Frank had his suspicions. He had liked Gerard for a while now (that's actually how he found out he was bi) and he was pretty sure Gerard felt something for him too. What exactly, he wasn't sure, but something, nonetheless.<p>

So one day, Frank decided to confront Gerard. They were (once again) in Gerard's room (the basement) sprawled out on the floor amongst dirty laundry and old, dog-eared comic books, just lying there. They were staring up at the ceiling, although they'd memorized every inch of it by now. Neither one minded the sense of nostalgia it gave them.

Throughout the past few years, Frank had been slowly gaining up his confidence. He had a question for Gerard, and he'd wanted an answer ever since he first became conscious of his sexuality.

"Hey Gerard?"

"Yeah?" the artistic man asked. His mind was most likely elsewhere, focused on ultra-violence or vampires or an idea for a comic or some shitty band.

"D'you like anybody?" Frank asked. He was a bit hesitant about this, but luckily his words didn't betray how he was feeling.

There was a silence. "Man, what are we, thirteen?" Gerard chuckled.

"Yeah... Yeah, you're right... It was stupid, just forget it." Frank murmured, letting his head roll so that he was facing the wall away from his friend.

Gerard noticed that Frank was upset. "No, it's not stupid, I just..." He seemed to be struggling with words. He let out an unsatisfied sigh. "Yeah, I do."

"Oh." Frank said, not really surprised. He turned back to face Gerard. "Who?"

"S'nobody." Gerard brushed the whole thing off, hoping to fall back to silence or at least change the subject.

"C'mon, tell me!" Frank prodded, poking Gerard in the side, attempting to annoy him.

"Fine... You gotta tell me who you like first though." Gerard said, smiling. If he was admitting to something, Frank was too.

"Hey, no fair!" Frank countered.

"That's my deal, take it or leave it." He said, moving his hands behind his head.

"Okay... But you have to promise not to hate me for it, or think of me different after this." Frank blushed and fidgeted with the hem of his hoodie.

Gerard's expression went dead serious. "It's Mikey isn't it?" Frank's face almost instantly contorted into a mixture of confusion and disgust that made Gerard giggle. Yes, Gerard Way giggled.

"Hell no!" He slapped hard at Gerard's shoulder, "Dude, what the fuck?"

Once Gerard managed to quit laughing, he asked, "But really, who do you like, Frank?"

Frank was quiet for a while. He huffed and said, "Man, I don't... It's so fuckin' hard to tell you this, I just... It's you, okay?"

"Frank, I uh... yeah. Same." Gerard said awkwardly.

Frank rolled his whole body over so that he was on his stomach with his right arm resting on Gerard's left. "So.. What does that make.. us? I mean, I wanna be more than friends, but, I'm only seventeen and you're legal, and... your call, I guess. Do you want us to be together?" He forced a small, nervous smile, hoping to ease some of the tension between them.

Gerard smirked and moved closer to Frank so that the smaller boy was lying halfway on top of him, chest to chest, Frank's face hovering mere inches above his. "Do you think I do?"

Frank gave a cheeky smile and nodded, closing the gap between them, kissing Gerard for the first time.

Even when he was unsure of it, Frank was always right.

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><p>They were both nearly asleep on the soft bed in Gerard's new apartment, television blaring in the background. They were both stripped down to their boxers, and were lying close together, but not touching. Some commercial for one of those cancer treatment centers was on.<p>

"Ya know, one of these days I'm gonna get cancer. I smoke like a fuckin'... chimney." Frank let out a short, dark laugh. In his near-sleep daze his words slurred together as if he was drunk.

"Go to sleep, Frank." Gerard groaned, pulling his partner of three years into a spooning position, successfully shutting up Frank's meaningless ramble.

Even when he hadn't meant what he'd said, Frank was right.

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><p>There he was, lying in a hospital bed, slowly fading away, his life slipping out of his grasp by the minute. Frank had been diagnosed with lung cancer, and he was going to die.<p>

"Gerard," Frank croaked out, his voice raspy. He looked horrendous. All color had faded from his skin long ago, leaving his complexion a sickly white and blue mix. His ribs protruded too far from his body, and his skin seemed to be stretched over his bones.

As soon as Gerard heard his name, he pounced up from his seat next to the bed and sat down beside Frank. He smoothed some of the younger boy's hair behind his ear.

"Yeah, Frank?" He asked. It was all he could seem to manage on the brink of tears.

"S'gonna be okay." Frank offered his lover a sweet smile and then closed his eyes. He felt a pair of soft lips on his forehead. What was truly sad about this whole ordeal was that Frank seemed to believe that was true. He thought he would make it out alive. Everyone else knew that wasn't the case.

Nonetheless, Gerard comforted him. "I know, baby. I love you," he choked out, the first few tears starting to make their trek down his face.

"Love you too," Frank replied, his voice weak and cracking. He gave a tired smile and started to move around a bit, trying to get comfortable enough to sleep.

After he had become situated in the small, bumpy, hospital bed, Gerard lied next to Frank. He held onto the other boy for dear life. Tears were flowing freely down his face now, and his sobs were making his entire body shudder.

Frank was right.

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><p>There were quite a few people there, most of them being acquaintances or distant friends. A few toddlers that didn't seem to know what was happening looked around, their eyes wide with both curiosity and confusion. Only a small group, consisting mainly of Frank's immediate family and the Ways, were crying and comforting each other, while the rest of the congregation was trying to check their watches inconspicuously. The entire procession was quiet except for the choked sobs coming from the front row.<p>

The coffin was jet black, and covered in white roses (Frank's favorite).

Frank had always thought that he would die young, because he "couldn't see himself as an old man". The funeral was just how Frank had said it would be. It was just what he'd expected.

Even when he was dead, Frank was right.

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><p>It had been nearly a month since Frank had passed away. Gerard had dark purple circles under his eyes that resembled bruises; he had lost a lot of weight in the past month as well. He was in his bedroom looking down at the shiny, silver revolver clasped in his hands, both of which were resting on his lap. He glanced up one last time at the picture of Frank and himself on the nightstand. It had been taken a long time ago; you could tell, because both of them were smiling.<p>

Frank had never lied to him. What he said was always the truth. He though back to the days he's spent in the cold, sterile hospital room when Frank had reassured him. When he'd said everything would be okay.

Frank was always right.

Gerard had never been one for believing in God or heaven or hell or life after death, but Frank had told him that things would be okay, and Gerard believed in Frank. He knew that somehow, things were going to be alright. He kept staring at the photograph. Frank was the last thing he wanted to see when he left this world, and the first thing he wanted to see when he entered the other.

Slowly, Gerard cocked the gun and put it to his head. "Everything's gonna be alright Frank. Trust me. We're gonna be together again soon, I promise."

He pulled the trigger.


End file.
